Can washer



Nov. 29, 1955 w. J. TAMMlNGA 2,725,064

CAN WASHER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 16 1950 LU I KJ N INVENTOR Mum/n 7 7507/21/4 614 BY @W' gawk ATTORNEY Nov. 29, 1955 w. J. TAMMINGA CAN WASHER I5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 16, 1950 INVENTOR' Nov. 29, 1955 w. J. TAMMINGA 2,725,064

CAN WASHER Filed March 16, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 $1 5 I H I I #80; #5 V QG 2 L X L m7 I /07 C ATTORNEY United States PatentO CAN WASHER.

William J. Tamminga, Goshen, N. Y.

Application March 16, 1950, Serial No. 150,046

Claims. (Cl. 134-144) This invention relates to can washers and more particularly to apparatus of the type commonly used for the washing of milk cans at creameries and other supply depots. At such places, cans which are returned after use are thoroughly washed and sterilized by passing them through washing machines. The cans and the covers 2,725,064 Patented Nov. 29, 1955 with relatively simple changes in the mechanism of the latter.

Prior can cleaning machines have endeavored to clean the exterior surfaces of the cans by nozzles which were mounted in fixed positions at the several stations to direct streams of the cleaning medium on the cans while the cans were at rest directly opposite these nozzles.

thereof are generally washed at the same time, but with the covers removed. The present invention is directed primarily to the washing of the cans, although cover washing apparatus may be incorporated in the same machine.

It is the usual practice to pass the cans, while inverted or upside down, through a washing tunnel with the lips of the can resting upon spaced apart tracks on which they are adapted to slide. The cans are held against tilting on the tracks by hold down flanges engaging the upper portions of the lips and step by step movement of the cans through the tunnel is imparted by can feeders comprising reciprocating bars carrying dogs which engage. with the lips of the cans and move them at each operation a predetermined distance into and out of cooperative relation with washing nozzles located at consecutive stations, spaced apart longitudinally of the. tunnel. Certain nozzles, hereinafter termed inside nozzles, are arranged to direct liquid sprays into the cans. Additional nozzles, hereinafter termed outside nozzles, are positioned at oppositev sides of the cans and are intended to. clean the exteriors thereof. v

Prolonged experience with machines of this character has shown that the cleaning of cans in this manner is notfully eifective. The nozzles which direct the spray into the interior of the cans satisfactorily clean the insides of their bottoms through a powerful scouring action of the liquid under pressure, but they do not exert a scouring action throughout the entire surface of the interior of the can. Their action is too localized. The same is true of the nozzles which are. supposed to clean the. exteriors of the cans.

The object of the. present invention is. to provide a system which will more efiiciently clean the cans, both exteriorly and interiorly, by insuring that all portions of both the interiors and exteriors of the cans are subjected to strong direct spray of the cleaning, sterilizing and rinsing media, so that a thorough cleaning and sterilization will result.

I insure thorough cleaning. of the inside of each can by so constructing each inside nozzle that liquid will be delivered therefrom in jets of fiat fan-like form, a plurality of such jets being provided and the nozzle being rotated so as to cause the jets to sweep the entire bottom and circumference of the interior of the wall of the can, including its body, breast, neck and lip, and to overlap one another in a manner to insure direct scouring action to all parts of these surfaces.

An important feature of this inside nozzle is its simplicity of construction and high efficiency of operation.

Another feature of this inside nozzle resides in the fact that it may be incorporated in present day machines The result of such construction is that the parts of the cans directly in front of the nozzles received fair cleaning treatment, but the more remote portions of the cans were not properly cleaned. Moreover, liquid has been fed to the outside nozzles at the same time as to the inside nozzles so that the pressure back of such liquid was divided between the internal and external cleaning operations, with the result that such pressure was inefiective to do both satisfactorily.

In accordance with the preferred form of this invention, the nozzles which clean the exteriors of the cans are idle during the cleaning of the interiors of the cans, and vice versa. The interiors of the cans are cleaned while the cans are at rest at the stations and the exteriors of the cans are cleaned while the cans are being moved from station to station. In this way the liquid pressure available for cleaning purposes is applied to one set of nozzles at a time and therefore each set receives the full liquid pressure. Moreover, the cleaning of the cans, as they are moved past the exterior nozzles, is more effective than the external cleaning of stationary cans with stationary nozzles.

Features of the invention, other than those adverted to, will be apparent from the hereinafter detailed description and appended claims, when read in conjunction with they accompanying drawings.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one practical embodiment of the invention, but the construction therein shown is to be understood as illustrative, only, and not as defining the limits of the invention.

Figure l is a fragmental perspective view of a portion of a can cleaning tunnel of conventional form, showing one nozzle embodying the present invention in cooperative. relation with a can (shown in phantom) and illustrating operative connections with the can feeder for imparting rotation to the inside nozzle.

Figure 2 is a vertical central section through the nozzle of Figure 1, showing the same mounted on a supply pipe for liquid.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the upper end of the head of the nozzle shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged view'showing the manner in which jets are delivered from the nozzle to impinge the interior surface of the. can.

Figure 5 is a fragmental plan view showing piping connections from a source of liquid under pressure to the nozzles for washing. the interior of the cans and to the nozzles for washing the exterior of the can. In this view the parts are in position to eifect the washing of the interior of the can.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5, but showing the relation of the parts when the nozzles for washing the interior of the cans are idle and the nozzles for washing the exterior of the cansare in operation.

Figure 7 is,v a fragmental section taken longitudinally of the machine and centrally thereof, to illustrate the manner in which the jets from the nozzle. for washing the interior of the can overlap one another to insure a thorough cleaning operation. This section is taken ap- .roximately in the plane of the line 7-7 of Figure 5.

Figure 8: shows the manner in which the exterior of the cans. are washed. This is a fragmentalelevation of the: exterior can cleaning operation when viewed from the plane; of the line 8----& in Figure 6.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary perspective of one of the nozzles used for cleaning the exterior of the can.

Figures 10 and 12 are fragmentary plain views of modified forms of construction.

Figure ll is a vertical section taken in the plane of the line 13l11 of Figure 10.

Fig. 13 is a fragmental plan view showing means for synchronizing the feed of the can and the operationsof the valves, as hereinafter described.

In Figure 1 of the drawings, 1 designates a pair of parallel tracks upon which milk cans are adapted to be set in inverted position so as to he slid along the tracks through a cleaning tunnel, as is common in can cleaning machines. One can C is here indicated in phantom as supported on said tracks for this movement. The cans are held against tilting by means of flanges 2 which overhang the lips of the cans for the purpose stated. Periodic movement of the cans longitudinally of the tracks 1 is imparted by a can feeder having dogs 3 pivoted to rods 4 positioned between the tracks 1. These rods are mounted for longitudinal reciprocating movement and are shifted back and forth in a rectilinear fashion by means of well known mechanism so that the cans are moved forward step by step during movement of the rods in one direction and remain at rest at successive stations while these rods are retracted into a position to again move forward to feed the cans as stated in spaced relation longitudinally of the tracks.

Positioned beneath the tracks at each of the several stations along the latter are inside nozzles so arranged as to be coaxial with cans when the latter are positioned at these stations. One of these nozzles is shown in Figure l and designated generally by the reference character 5. This nozzle is supplied with the liquid to be sprayed through a supply pipe 6 which extends transversely beneath the tracks.

The spray nozzle shown in Figure 1 is of the unique construction illustrated in greater detail in Figures 2-4 inclusive. This nozzle has a sprayer head 7 secured by screws 7a to a depending tubular shank 8 mounted to freely rotate on a fitting 9. This fitting 9 is threaded at its lower end at 11 to screw into the supply pipe 6, as shown in Figure 2, and includes an integral cup portion 12 fitted with a gland nut having a hexagonal flange 13. The lower end of the shank 8 is outwardly flanged at 15 to seat in the base of the cup portion 12 and the gland n-ut id is screwed down on to theflange 15 to produce, with packing 14, a leak tight seal while permitting the shank to freely rotate. Threaded .onto the shank 8 and coaxial therewith is a gear 16.

The spray nozzle shown in Figure 2 is supported in the position shown in Figure 1 on any suitable support, such as a transverse bracket 17, with the gear 16 in mesh with a rack 18 secured to one of the feeder rods 4, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 7. As a result of this arrangement reciprocating movement of the feeder will impart rotation to the sprayer head 7.

Ordinarily, spray nozzles used in machines of the character stated are perforated to discharge one or more substantially circular jets while the nozzles remain sta tionary. The nozzle of this invention radically differs from such prior constructions. As shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4, the sprayer head 7 is substantially in the form of a truncated cone having a sloping side wall 19 and a fiat upper end 20. Across the flat upper end 20 and extending downwardly into the sloping side walls 1? is a diametrically disposed slot 21. Two of such slots in right angular relation to one another may be used, but one is sutficient.

In the sloping walls 19 of said head are formed slots 22 which also extend into the flat upper end 20. These slots may, if desired, be made radially of the head, but I prefer to make them non-radial, i. e., to cut them in angular relation to correspondingly axial radial planes, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, so that jets of liquid issuing from the interior of the head through said slots 22 will approach tangential relation rather than cause a discharge of such liquid in a radial direction. This is evident from Figure 4 where the jets of the slots 22 are indicated by the reference character I. These jets are relatively fiat in an upright direction, but fan in a lateral direction. They are so disposed, as shown in Figure 4, that they have a forward lead with respect to the direction of rotation of the sprayer head. In other words, these jets do not strike the surface of the can in a direction radially of said surface, but rather at an acute angle and non-radially which I have found will produce a better cleaning and scouring action than when radial impingement is utilized.

I wish it understood, however, that I may make these slots 22 either in radial planes or with the angular disposition shown in Figures 3 and 4, without departing from this invention.

In the preferred form of the invention, I use one slot 21 across the top and a plurality of slots 22 extending down the side of the nozzle head. However, a single slot extending down the side of the head will insure direct contact of the stream to all parts of the inner surface of the side walls of the can and will serve to save considerable water, particularly in the rinsing stage where fresh water is used. Some advantages of the present invention may also be obtained by substituting a few perforations in the top 20 of the nozzle head in lieu of the transverse slot 21 and while using one or more of the slots 22. This also serves to save water, but where possible I preferably use one or more transverse slots 21 and a plurality of the slots 22 as this combination gives the best results.

With this type of nozzle it will appear that rotation of the nozzle, while a can is at rest in coaxial relation therewith, will cause the jets to sweep about the entire circumference of the interior of the can. Furthermore since the slots 21 and 22 overlap as stated, the jet 1 from the slot 21 will overlap the jet J from the slots 22. This is illustrated in Fig. 7 wherein the angle of spread j of the jets J from the slots 22 is shown as overlapping the angle j of the jet J from the slot 21. Such overlapping arrangement insures direct contact of at least one jet with the full height of the interior of the can while rotation of the sprayer head causes these overlapping jets to sweep about the interior of the can so that all portions of the surface thereof are subjected to a scouring action of the liquid. With this arrangement, the cleaning of the can is not dependent upon the mere flow of liquid downwardly over the side walls of the interior surfaces of the can as is the case in most prior can cleaning machines. On the contrary the action of the sprayer head of this invention is positive and thorough.

In Figures 5, 6 and 8 piping is shown for feeding liquid to the inside nozzles 5 and also to certain outside nozzles whereby the exterior of the can is cleaned. Piping appropriate to two stations of the cleaning machine is shown in these figures, but it will be understood that this may be multiplied as desired. As here illustrated, the liquid is fed into a manifold 23 from a suitable source of pressure supply such as a pump 23. Pipes 6, which supply the inside spray nozzles 5, are connected to this manifold and the flow of liquid through these pipes 6 is controlled by valves 24 having valve stems 25 which when pressed inwardly admit liquid from the manifold to the nozzles for the purpose of cleaning the inside of the can as stated.

The exterior of the can is washed by a series of outside nozzles 26 (Figures 8 and 9) mounted on upstanding pipes 27 arranged at the opposite sides of the tracks 1 and intermediate the several stations. The pipes 27 are connected to feed pipe 28 which are connected to the manifold 23 through control valves 29. These'control valves have valve stems 30 which, when pressed in, admit liquid from the manifold to the pipes 28 and thence upwardly through the pipes 27 to the nozzles 26 which are arranged vertically a'loiiQthe inner upright pipes: The nozzles 26 maybe conveniently fhrmed" by providinghorizontal threaded outlet bosses 31 on the upright pipes 27' and screwing thereon hollow caps 32, the end walls of which are; provided with upright'slots- 33, as shown best in Fig. 9. These slotted caps 32' constitute the nozzle heads from which liquid fed through the pipes 27 will issue in the form of a flat, upright", fanned jet. As shown in Fig. 9, the outside nozzles 26' are placed suflici'ently close together so that these jets will overlap in a direction vertically of the can.

The valves 24- and 29' are controlled by a valve controller 3'4 shown-in Figures 5 and 6; This controller is provided with fingers 35 oneofwhich extends between thefree ends of each two adjacent valve stems and 30. The spacing is suchthat when the controller is rectilinearily moved to the left, it will open the valves- 24 while permitting the valves 29 to close, with the result that liquid will pass from the manifold 23 to the inside sprayer nozzles 5 and liquid will issue from the inside nozzles to clean the interior of the can, the partsbeing then as indicated in Fig. 5-. However, as the cans start i 'to move from one station to the next, the inside spray nozzles 5' ill be shut ofland the valves 29' of the outside spray nozzles will be opened, with the result that liquid will be sprayed on to. the exterior of the cans as they pass from one station to the next. This operation is indicated in Fig. 6 where the outline of cans are shown in several positions to indicate movement through intermediate positions to the next station. The movement of the valve operator 34 is tied in or synchronized with the movement of the can feed, so that the operations of the valves may be timed with the movement of the cans.

In practice the synchronizing of th'e'movementof the can feed and the valve actuator maybe accomplished in any suitable way but a verysirnple form of synchronizing device is shown in Fig. 13. In this figure a bracket 37", rigidly secured to one of thefeeder rods 4, projects into a position where it li'es between two lugs 38 and 39 rigid with the valve operator 34. The spacing between the lugs 38 and 39 is slightly less than the distance between the dogs 3 of the can feeder rod and these lugs are so positioned that, just before the end of the forward feed of the can in the direction indicated by the arrow in this figure, the bracket 37 will engage with the lug 38-and shift the valve operator 34 to the left with the result that the valve 24 is opened by the time that the forward stroke of the feeder rod is completed. Thev spray is thereby delivered into the can. The feeder rod 4 now reverses its movement and starts its back stroke, but the valve operator retains its position with the result that the interior of the can continues to be sprayed until just prior to the end of the back stroke of the feeder rod 4, at which time the bracket 37 comes into contact with the lug 39 to move the' valve operator 34 to the right. I This movement closes the valve 24 and opens the valve 29. After finishing the back stroke, the feeder rod 4 again moves forwardly on the feed stroke. During its forward feed stroke, the valve 29 remains open and the exterior of the can is sprayed, while the sprayer for the interior of the can remains idle. This condition prevails until the feed stroke nears completion, at which time the operations described are repeated.

With this arrangement, full pressure of the liquid in the manifold 23 may be utilized to effect spraying of the liquid within the interior of the can while the cans are at rest, and such full pressure can also be applied to the washing of the exterior of the cans while the latter are in motion. Furthermore the progressive movement of the cans through the walls of spray provided by the external nozzles insures a more efiicient and direct contact between the cleaning liquid and'the can surface and is conducive to a much more effective cleaning operation.

Practical use has shown beyond any question the high efiiciency of the present invention in the cleaning of all 6 parts-of the'exteri'or and interior ofthe cans. The mechanism which I have described may be used with additional mechanismfor cleaning the covers of the cans but I make no claimhere for that particular portion of can cleaning machinery;

In the apparatus thus far described, the heads of the inside nozzles arerotated" by gear and rack connections between the can feeder and the individual nozzle heads. I am aware, however, that" these heads may be driven from the feeder through other connections, illustrative examples of which appear in Figures 10-12 of the drawings.

In Figure ll, the inside spray nozzle 105, which corresponds to the nozzle 5, comprises an upright tubular fitting 109, threaded at its lower end 111 to screw into an outlet of one of the supply pipes 6 and locked by a lock nut 111a. The fitting is provided intermediate its ends with a fixed external flange 115 and the exterior surface of this fitting above the flange constitutes a bearing for the rotary'head 107 of the nozzle. The lower end of the'nozzlehead' rests on the upper surface of the flange 115. A nut 110 has, at its, lower end, an inturned lip extending beneath the flange and said nut is internally threaded above the flange to screw onto external threads of the head. A gasket or packing 114 is interposed between'the' lip and flange to preclude leakage, the parts being locked in adjustment by a locking screw 36 threaded'through the nut and extending into a perforation in the head. By this construction, the head' 107 is mounted for rotation on the fitting 1091 In Figures 10 and 11 this head is rotated by a cable 118 attached to the can feeder and in Figure 12 it is rotated by a chain and sprocket 218.

As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the cable 118, secured at its opposite ends to one of the bars 4 of the can feeder, is looped around the channel 116 of one or a group of; the heads 107. A spring 118a may be incorporatedin each cable at either or both ends to keep the latter under tension and assure rotation of the head or heads 107, as the can carrier bar 4 is reciprocatedi I'nFigure 12 a sprocket 216 is coaxially fixed to each of-the nozzle heads 207 and meshes with a sprocket chain 218 the opposite ends of which are secured to one of the bars 4 of the can feeder. One or both ends of the chain may be connected by springs 21811 to the bar to keep the chain under tension. With this. arrangement, reciprocation of the feeder bar 4 will impart rotation to the associated heads 207.

Figures 10 and 11 thus embody flexible driving bands or belts of different form, secured to the can feeder and passing about the sprayer heads to translate reciprocation of the feeder into rotation of said heads.

The invention requires. no. more cleaning liquid than has been commonly used in can cleaning machines. In fact the eflici'ency of my apparatus makes it possible to use a lesser amount of liquid for this purpose.

The foregoing detailed description sets forth the invention in its preferred practical form. It provides for both the exterior and interior cleaning of the can. It will be apparent that this invention embodies several novel features, some of which may be used without necessarily employing all. The present invention is therefore to be understood as not limited to the specific structure shown, but is fully commensurate with the appended claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A can washing machine comprising: a reciprocating can feeder to feed cans in inverted condition along a predetermined path during its feed stroke and to leave the cans at rest at predetermined stations in said path during its retractive stroke, an inside spray nozzle in fixed position at a station to spray liquid into a can while there at rest, said nozzle having a rotatable head connected to the can feeder and rotatable thereby as the feeder is reciprocated.

2. A can washing machine comprising: a reciprocating can feeder to feed cans in inverted condition along a predetermined path during its feed stroke and to leave the cans at rest at predetermined stations in said path during its retractive stroke, an inside spray nozzle in fixed position at a station to spray liquid into a can while there at rest, said nozzle having a rotatable head geared to the can feeder and rotatable thereby as the feeder is reciprocated.

3. A can washing machine comprising: a reciprocating feeder to feed cans in inverted condition along a predetermined path during its feed stroke and to leave the cans at rest at predetermined stations in s'aidpath during its retractive stroke, an inside spray nozzle in fixed position at a station and havinga rotatable head to spray liquid into a can while there at rest, and a gear connected to said head and meshing with a rack carried by the can feeder whereby said head is rotated as the feeder is reciprocated.

4. A can washing machine comprising: guide tracks along which cans are adapted to travel in inveited condition, a can feeder reciprocable longitudinally of said tracks and engageable with cans on the track to move said cans along the track during its feed stroke and leave the cans at rest at predetermined stations during its retractive stroke, a spray nozzle mounted in upright position between the tracks at each of several stations to spray liquid into the cans while at rest at said stations, a rotatable head on each spray nozzle, a gear rotatable with the head of each nozzle, and rack teeth mounted on the can feeder and in mesh with the said gear of each nozzle head to impart rotary movement to the nozzle heads as the feeder is reciprocated, in combination with means for causing the spray nozzle to spray liquid into the cans while at rest, and operative connections between said means and the reciprocable can feeder.

5. A can washing machine comprising: a can feeder to feed cans in inverted condition along a predetermined path to consecutive stations in succession, an inside spray nozzle having a rotatable head at at least one such station to discharge liquid into a can while the latter is at such station, and means for rotating said head while it is discharging liquid into the can, in combination with vertically spaced apart outside spray nozzles on opposite sides of said path and between which the can is adapted to pass to discharge liquid transversely across said path, a source of liquid under pressure, piping connections between the source of liquid and both the inside and outside spray nozzles and including control valves, and a valve operating member for opening the valve to supply liquid to the inside nozzle while the can is at rest at the station and for shutting off said valve and supplying liquid to the outside nozzles while the can is moving away from said station.

6; A can washing machine comprisingra can feeder for intermittently moving inverted cans along a path with periods of rest at stations spaced along said path, an inside sprayer at each of several stations to direct liquid into said cans, a plurality of outside sprayers positioned at opposite sides of said path between said stations to direct liquid against the exterior of said cans, and valvular means including a valve operating member for supplying liquid to the inside sprayers only when cans are at rest at the several stations and to the outside sprayers only when the cans are moving from station to station.

7. A can washing machine comprising: a can feeder for intermittently moving inverted cans along a path with periods of rest at stations spaced along said path, an inside sprayer at each of several stations to direct liquid into said cans, while at rest at such stations, a plurality of vertically spaced apart horizontal outside sprayers positioned at the opposite sides of said path between said stations to direct liquid against the exterior of said cans while they are moving from station to station, a source of liquid under pressure, pipingconnections between said source and both the inside and outside sprayers, valves in said connections, and a valve controller synchronized with the can feeder for selectively operating said valves to feed liquid to the inside sprayers while the cans are at rest and to the outside sprayers while the cans are in motion.

8. A can washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein a flexible driving band secured to the can feeder is looped about the rotatable head to, translate reciprocation of the feeder into rotation of the head.

9. A can washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein a cable secured to the can feeder is looped about the rotatable head to translate reciprocation of the feeder into rotation of the head.

10. A can washing-machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein a sprocket chain secured to the can feeder is looped about a sprocket wheel on the rotatable head to translate reciprocation of the feeder into rotation of the head.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Roselund Feb. 4, 1947 

